The room is now split into male and female sections, and features arrows pointing to Mecca, literature describing proper behavior for women (”They should cover their faces and stay at home… [their speech should not] be such that it is heard”) and for all Muslims (”the Jews and the Christians” are described as “the enemies of Allaah’s religion.”)

"...and for all Muslims the Jews and the Christians” are described as “the enemies of Allaah’s religion.)".

But is this true? I know 'Allah' is spelt wrong but I mean in the wider context.

If it is then the Qur'an is an anti-Islamic document because it clearly states that all Jews and Christians are believers who will go to paradise.

If this is not what Muslims believe then we need to disseminate the information that being a Muslim does not rely on the Qur'an.

If it is false then clearly these people - if the article is genuine which is far from certain - are not Muslims and as such cannot be used as examples.

It's a dilemma. best ignore it and carry on with the agitprop

Well, the quote came from this blog and that's where I found the link to the original article (from a local newspaper). What does one need? CNN? Reuters? Fox?

Well, I dug a little deeper...seems the original article is by Katherine Kersten, the Star-Tribune's resident diehard fundamentalist. This is the woman who described an Episcopal minister as a "practicing homosexual" . So now I'm not surprised she represents such an obvious situation in the most negative possible light.

Still, if you put a bunch of different religious people in a room to "meditate", war breaks out. Who would have thought?...

Well, the quote came from this blog and that's where I found the link to the original article (from a local newspaper). What does one need? CNN? Reuters? Fox?

Well, I dug a little deeper...seems the original article is by Katherine Kersten, the Star-Tribune's resident diehard fundamentalist. This is the woman who described an Episcopal minister as a "practicing homosexual" . So now I'm not surprised she represents such an obvious situation in the most negative possible light.

Still, if you put a bunch of different religious people in a room to "meditate", war breaks out. Who would have thought?...

Yeah, everyone has an agenda these days. I guess it is not enough anymore to see something as it is and accept it or reject it on that basis. It has to be 'bad' to be rejected and 'good' to be accepted.

Kind of sucks.

Btw, I am checking out the sci-fi book you mentioned - looks like it could be a goodie. never heard of it before. Not really so much into sci-fi (is that what it is?) - Dune was pretty much drawing on Islamic sources too, didn't get too into it though.

What is Faith? When your good deed pleases you and your evil deed grieves you, you are a believer. What is Sin? When a thing disturbs the peace of your heart, give it up - Prophet Muhammad

Btw, I am checking out the sci-fi book you mentioned - looks like it could be a goodie. never heard of it before. Not really so much into sci-fi (is that what it is?) - Dune was pretty much drawing on Islamic sources too, didn't get too into it though.

I would say that it is more of a hard-boiled mystery than science fiction story. There isn't much science (merely implants for the brain and some physical modification stuff), but I really got into the character and the late 21st century Middle Eastern world Effinger created. He based the look and feel of the city from his love of his hometown New Orleans. I'm on the third of the series and I think it's the best so far (delves more into Middle Eastern culture than the other two). I'd start with the first and see how it goes for you. Wish they'd make a movie out of this series...of course with all the Muslim overtones...that could be a problem these days.

I would say that it is more of a hard-boiled mystery than science fiction story. There isn't much science (merely implants for the brain and some physical modification stuff), but I really got into the character and the late 21st century Middle Eastern world Effinger created. He based the look and feel of the city from his love of his hometown New Orleans. I'm on the third of the series and I think it's the best so far (delves more into Middle Eastern culture than the other two). I'd start with the first and see how it goes for you. Wish they'd make a movie out of this series...of course with all the Muslim overtones...that could be a problem these days.

Yeah, I'll definitely give it a go. I remember in the dark days of my youth there used to be a role playing game like this - Islam was the superpower and the Corporations were the rebels....can't remember what it was called.

What is Faith? When your good deed pleases you and your evil deed grieves you, you are a believer. What is Sin? When a thing disturbs the peace of your heart, give it up - Prophet Muhammad

Yeah, I'll definitely give it a go. I remember in the dark days of my youth there used to be a role playing game like this - Islam was the superpower and the Corporations were the rebels....can't remember what it was called.

Circuit's Edge is a computer game developed by Westwood Studios and released by Infocom in 1989. It was based on George Alec Effinger's 1987 novel When Gravity Fails. The game was a hybrid interactive fiction/role-playing game; it contained a window of text, a graphic window for depiction of the player's current location, and various menus and mini-windows for character statistics and other game functions.

The player assumes the role of Marîd Audran, a private detective. The game is set in "The Budayeen", an entertainment / criminal quarter in an unnamed city somewhere in the Mideast that is a seedy reflection of modern-day New Orleans.[citation needed] While running a series of errands/"business deals" for "Saied the Half-Hajj", a friend of Marîd's, Marîd is framed for the murder of a man named Kenji Carter. Although Marîd's influential patron Friedlander Bey clears him with the local police, Bey asks him to look into Carter's death. Doing so leads Marîd deep into the criminal underworld of the Budayeen.

I would say that it is more of a hard-boiled mystery than science fiction story. There isn't much science (merely implants for the brain and some physical modification stuff), but I really got into the character and the late 21st century Middle Eastern world Effinger created. He based the look and feel of the city from his love of his hometown New Orleans. I'm on the third of the series and I think it's the best so far (delves more into Middle Eastern culture than the other two). I'd start with the first and see how it goes for you. Wish they'd make a movie out of this series...of course with all the Muslim overtones...that could be a problem these days.

Dune remains one of the all-time great works... also I used to love picking up the Nebula Awards anthologies and pore over all of those fantastic short stories. Really loved "Sandkings" by George R. R. Martin...